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Sunday, September 22, 2013

If I could talk to the animals

There are times when brooding angst and adult cynicism need
to be put aside.

“We Bought a Zoo” is one of those movies where you need to just
shut the critics out and let yourself feel. It is the kind of story that will take you to
a very special place if you allow it to. It is the story of a man who—well—buys a
zoo—and in the process learns a lot about himself as he gets to experience the world
around him from a new and enlightened perspective.

The fictional zoo in the movie (called the Rosemoor Wildlife
Park) is based on the real-life Dartmoor Zoological Park, located in Devon,
England and the real-life family who purchased the zoo in 2007. Working from
the non-fiction auto-biographical book by Benjamin Mee, director Cameron Crowe
and co-screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna keep the core of this wonderful real-life
story, and add just the right touch of Hollywood gloss amid a classic three act
structure.

Crowe has always demonstrated a talent for working with
actors and getting a great performance out of his lead. This trend continues
with “We Bought a Zoo”. Matt Damon is fantastic, demonstrating a warmth and
vulnerability that synergistically blends with his innate charisma and heroic
on-screen presence. It is a skilfully executed performance resulting is in
Benjamin Mee coming across as a memorable, complex, heroic character we root
for.

Scarlett Johansson is terrific as Kelly Foster, the
dedicated lead zookeeper who places her faith in Ben and becomes his mentor along
the way. The supporting cast is spot on from the always engaging Thomas Hayden Church to the stellar talent Elle Fanning who steals every scene she is in. Her
emotional honesty is astonishing and if this movie has one flaw it is that
there should have been few more scenes for her character.

One major change the movie makes on the real life story is
to have Benjamin’s wife die before the events in the film that lead to the
purchasing and opening of the zoo. Crowe uses this to provide a way to give the
zoo a more direct dramatic catharsis for the viewer. Caring for the animals and
being responsible for a selfless and dedicated staff allow Ben to have a new
purpose in life and both he and his children are able to connect and heal as
they bond with the noble creatures now in their care.

There is a wonderful scene halfway through the film where a
bear named Buster escapes from the zoo and is loose in suburbia. An escape
would jeopardize everything they have been working for and result in a
rejection by the licensing board. Ben is the first to come upon Buster in an
open field near a section of forest. When Ben stares at Buster and sees the
bear experiencing the utter joy of freedom amid the natural world he was meant
to live in—Ben has a profound moment of clarity. After Buster is tranquilized
an emotional Ben’s first words are, “I want to give him a bigger enclosure. I
don’t care what it costs.” One of the great pleasures of this movie is the
experiencing the emotional journey of Ben’s character through the sincere and
skillful performance of Matt Damon.

Bottom line, “We Bought a Zoo” is wonderful, sentimental
feel good film anchored by a warm and engaging performance by Matt Damon.

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About Me

James J. Caterino is a freelance writer based in South Florida. The wildly controversial scribe is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and the Action/Cut school of directing. He is the author of "Technicolor Dreams", "Battle of the Network Superheroes", "The B Girl", the "Caitlin Star" series, "Steel Phantom", "The Selfie", "The Last Neanderthal", "She", "Action Figure", "All About Amy", "Video Noir", "Among the Stars", hundreds of essays, movie, television, and music reviews, screenplays, short stories, and much more. Please visit Jamescaterino.com for more